Turkey, the Raw Guide

PREFACE

Have you ever wondered what it’s really like to pitch your tent in a foreign field, particularly a Muslim one? Guidebooks and travelogues only go so far and, these days, many of them offer second hand accounts. To get a genuine insider’s feel, you need to ask someone who’s been there, done that and bought the fake designer tee-shirts. In 2009, Jack Scott and his civil partner, Liam, moved lock stock and barrel to Turkey. They read all the right books and asked all the right questions but nothing could prepare them for what was to come – heatstroke, frostbite, biblical floods, Byzantine red tape, lazy censorship, blackouts, bugs, rancid drains, suicidal drivers, dirty politics, any-hole-is-the-goal waiters, jaw-dropping sunsets, kindness, generosity and ultimately, acceptance. In short, the inquisitive couple stumbled upon what Jack infamously described as ‘the mad, the bad, the sad and the glad.’ Jack decided to write it all down and started a blog for all the world to ignore. He called it Perking the Pansies. Against the odds and much to Jack’s surprise, Perking the Pansies grew into the most successful blog of its kind in Turkey, attracting a loyal following, the attention of the Turkish press and hatching an award-winning number one best seller. That was then.

This is now. After four glorious (and occasionally inglorious) years, Jack and Liam upped sticks and paddled back to Blighty on the evening tide. They now live in the English cathedral city of Norwich, a picturesque gem set within the flatlands and big skies of Norfolk. With a changed focus and a new audience, the blog continues to go from strength to strength. With his sweeping Anatolian adventures behind him, Jack is now publishing the best of his popular blog as a two part mini-series. The uncensored director's cut includes previously unpublished material and some solid home-spun practical advice about living the dream. Visas, tax, banking, working, customs, healthcare, schools for the ankle biters - all the boring stuff is in here. Jack likes to be functional as well as decorative. This is Episode One - Turkey, the Raw Guide.